


in the heights!

by clovekentwell



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Theatre, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, In the Heights References, Jewish Percy Jackson, Musical References, No Beta, Purely Platonic Percabeth, Rachabeth Enemies to Lovers is So Underrated, Rated for swearing, Theatre, Theatre Kids In Love, We Die Like Abuela Claudia, also nico and percy are cousins, and some jokes, annabeth and rachel are both afro-latine, basically everyone is latine
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-12 20:34:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 7,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29515395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clovekentwell/pseuds/clovekentwell
Summary: a mixtape of high school theatre kids in love, in which annabeth chase competes for the lead in their high school production of in the heights with rachel elizabeth dare and gets cast as her love interest instead.
Relationships: Annabeth Chase & Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase & Piper McLean, Annabeth Chase/Rachel Elizabeth Dare, Jason Grace/Leo Valdez, Nico di Angelo/Will Solace, Piper Mclean/Shel, Thalia Grace/Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano
Comments: 14
Kudos: 23





	1. i

**Author's Note:**

> welcome hi so a note: i kind of want to make the ships in this fic to parallel some of my favorite broadway couples. ex:
> 
> annabeth + rachel / benny + nina (in the heights, duh theyre the main in this)  
> nico + will / wednesday + lucas (addams family)  
> piper + shel / maureen + joanne (rent)  
> leo + jason / cady + aaron (mean girls)
> 
> you'll see what i mean soon even if most are background ships they get a chapter or two (interludes) to be theatre kids in love but yeah i'm pretty proud of that idea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> oh annabeth

Sent: Tuesday, March 10th, 3:54 am

From:  achase20@student.goodehspa.org

To:  apapadopoulos@staff.goodehspa.org

Subject: Confused and Disheartened

Dear Mr. A—

I hope you are having a nice evening. Really, I do. Because _I_ for one, am not. Are you happy with yourself? I imagine you pinning up that one, thin, important, small, life-changing, important piece of paper with a big, fat, sadistic smile on your face. You were probably _so_ pleased with yourself, tucking in at night knowing you caused me unspeakable pain by giving _her_ the role that belonged to _me!_ ME! My. Role. Mine! Did you laugh maniacally to yourself? I’m sure you’d make a fine Elphaba in Wicked, if that wasn’t another dream role of mine I refuse to bargain.

Now. As the subject states plainly, I am both confused and disheartened by your actions and lack of proper judgment. As I type this to you, it is 3 am and I have been pondering all night the right way to address this to you. I know its likely that there had been a mistake, a simple type (I’m aware C and D last names are very close to one another on the roster) which is why I only screamed for a reduced period of time upon returning to my abode from what may have been the most tragic day of my short, young life, as to not completely obliterate my voice should my theory of the cast list typo be correct, and I am then given my proper role. An email confirming this would do wonders for my health, both mental and physical. I have begun to deteriorate.

-Annabeth.


	2. in the heights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tension is thick girls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you’re not a theatre kid… im sorry you probably won’t understand half of the references in this. i suggest looking up some of the characters in ITH. if you are a theatre kid, congrats, i love you, here’s something to make you feel better while we’re deprived of theatre.
> 
> also, yes, annabeth is a melodramatic menace what do you want me to do about it

No one was surprised that Annabeth guessed the musical first. They were only upset to lose their money.

The Email came out to the entirety of Goode High school for the Performing Arts at 12:13 P.M., Eastern Standard Time. Annabeth, of course, had notifications on and knew from the hints her theatre teacher had been giving that The Email would come out sometime in the past two days. She was still racking her brain, half paying attention to whatever Thalia and Percy were chatting on about when she felt a buzz from her back pocket. Faster than you could say the title of the show itself, Annabeth was reading the subject of the email with wide eyes and a pounding heart.

“ _IN THE HEIGHTS!”_

“What?”

“We’re doing _In the Heights!_ Hand it over bitches!”

“Ohh,” Thalia sighed. “But come on. What did Mr. A give us for a hint? Dance. New York. Great for the ensemble. That sounds a hell lot like _Rent_ to me.”

“Rent has little to no dance, you just wanted to shake your ass as Mimi.”

“Oh, shut up, Perseus,” Thalia says, shoving him in the shoulder.

He shoves her back. “No, okay, I really thought I was on to something with _Newsies_!”

“This school doesn’t have enough boys who can dance like _that,”_ Thalia chuckles.  
“ _I_ can!”

“Wishful thinking, Percy,” Annabeth grins as Thalia and Percy reluctantly hand over $10.

“So,” Percy relaxes his shoulders like the information previously withheld from them was equivalent to the weight of the sky. “ _In the Heights.”_

Annabeth’s face is still warm with excitement, her grin making her cheeks ache. “This is the perfect show to end our senior year! I can’t believe it. I’ve never done this one before.” She does a vocal impression of an instrumental number from the show and pulls Thalia into dancing with her once she's sure they’re alone in the hall.

“It’s a good show,” Thalia says, humoring the younger girl. Although only one year older than everyone else due to being kept back her sophomore year, Thalia was the appointed senior goth aunt of the theatre department, especially inseparable from Annabeth and Percy onstage, backstage, and offstage.

Annabeth drops Thalia’s hands when she hears someone’s footsteps turning the corner. A girl with russet brown skin and red hair in perfect ringlets that fell just below her shoulders. 

Rachel Elizabeth Dare.

Annabeth meets Percy’s gaze from the side of her eye. She isn’t unfamiliar with Rachel. She had moved to Goode just this year but was already notorious for being what Annabeth called the Terrible Theatre Trifecta: Talented (apparently; Annabeth had never seen the girl perform in person), rich, and a popular bitch.

“Hey, guys!” Rachel jogs up to the three of them, her satiny tank top swinging over her torso with each move. Annabeth wonders how many hours of expensive dance class went into her being able to move so gracefully. 

Not the point.

Rachel Dare. What a bitch.

She catches up with them, displaying her phone screen. She flashes one of her perfect pearly white smiles at them.Annabeth is tempted to point her away from the school and to a Colgate commercial. “You guys see the news? Pretty good, huh?”

To Annabeth’s dismay, Percy beams back at her. “Yeah. Annabeth called it two weeks ago, and got it the second The Email was sent.”

“Oh!” She turns to Annabeth and gives her a laugh. “You’re just like me then.”

_I’m nothing like you, Rachel, actually,_ Annabeth thinks, but presses a smile onto her face.

“Who do y’all think is gonna get which role?”

“Percy’s a shoo-in for the male lead, of course,” Annabeth raves, kicking him lightly in the shin.

“You’re fan-casting already?” Percy says, feebly trying to hide his flustered state.

“Not a fan-cast anymore.”

“Octavian will at least _audition_ for Usnavi.”

“Annabeth,” Percy says, putting a hand out to her. “Don’t. Even. _Suggest_ it.”

“What? We have to be prepared for the worst!”

“I hope you get every role over him,” Rachel nods at Percy.

“Oh god, Octavian was a nightmare as the Emcee last year in _Cabaret_.” Thalia makes a barfing noise.

“I’m telling you, you would’ve been hilarious in that role,” Percy tells her. “And _much_ better than him.”

“Agreed! It’s a shame I keep getting type-cast as lesbians.”

“Wonder why?”

“Shut up! I have the perfect hair, yeah? _And_ I got half-way through the German Duolingo course to try and get that role.”

“No way!” Rachel giggles. Like, _actually giggles. “_ We did _Cabaret_ too at my old school.” Then, in a _just-putting-it-out-there_ tone that makes Annabeth want to bash her head into the nearest locker, “I was Natalia. Freshman year.”

Annabeth hates the way she nods like she owns the fucking role. She doesn’t, but the worst pops into Annabeth head: _Shit._ What if she kind of is everything she’s been made out to be?

“Oh, well,” Annabeth fake-grimaces, tucking her hair behind her ear with a sigh. “I was Sally, so…”

The ringing of the fifth-period bell sends a shrill noise throughout the halls. 

“Saved by the bell,” Percy rolls his eyes at the two of them, shouldering his backpack, and walking towards the science wing. “You two prima donnas have fun. I’ll see you after school, Annabeth.”

“Peace,” Thalia says, following after him.

Annabeth turns to Rachel, a careful expression placed on her face.

“Who’re you auditioning for?” Rachel asks, and it’s so goddamn perky that when Annabeth replies, she’s never sounded tenser. 

“Nina.”

Never did a fictional character hold so much tension and bitterness behind the delicate face of a high school teen.

“And you?”

Rachel just shrugs and tilts her head at the other girl, the barest smile on her face. 

“Same. See you at auditions.”


	3. ii

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> shel <3

(Text messages from Piper Mclean to Annabeth Chase, sent during fifth-period English Language Arts)

**Piper:** im assuming u saw???

A **nnabeth:** Yeah.

**Piper:** i cant freaking wait praying i get vanessa

**Piper:** all the years of u teaching me to dance in my bedroom will finally pay off

**Annabeth:** True true

**Piper:** u good ? i thought you’d b more excited

**Annabeth:** I am. Im also in deep concentration

**Piper:** oh ? say more

**Annabeth:** R*chel el*zab*th d*re

**Piper:** oh good lord

**Piper:** but wait omg she is good right?? this is such bad news

**Annabeth:** Thank you so much piper

**Piper:** sorry just keeping it real with u bestie

**Annabeth:** She says she’s going up for nina

**Piper:** no!!!!! that is YOUR role

**Annabeth: E** xactly! Have you ever seen her perform before?

**Piper:** no but she has star quality

**Piper:** u have more tho

**Annabeth:** Right. Right. So idek why i’m worrying

**Piper:** exactly. this role is urs. count on it.

**Annabeth:** You bet to hell i am.

**Piper:** the only thing she has going for her is that she smells good. like new pencils and roses. weird mix but it works ig. 

**Piper:** and she's pretty. like i lowkey had a crush on her for a day or two

**Piper:** but mr. a never gives ppl lead roles just based on good lucks.

**Piper:** **looks

**Piper:** if that were the case, i wouldn’t have gotten ensemble freshman year and drew tanaka wouldn’t have gotten ensemble literally every year after that

**Annabeth:** Speaking of casting and good looks did u see who the student director is this year…?

**Piper:** yeah i saw. new kid

**Annabeth:** “new kid” AS IF YOU HAVENT DONE A FULL INTERNET SEARCH ON ONE SHEL TORREZ

**Piper:** oh fuck off.


	4. breathe (1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did SOMEBODY SAY JEWISH PERCY  
> it killed me to not write percabeth so ofc i had to make them at the very least the bestest of friends.

“What a stuck-up fucking bitch! Who the hell does she think she is? _Rachel Elizabeth fucking Dare._ That menace.”

“Slow down,” Percy says, collapsing onto his bed, scrolling through his phone. “You’ll choke on the cookies.”

“Rachel can choke on her cookies,” Annabeth retorts, pacing the length of Percy’s room, shoving blue cookie after blue cookie into her mouth. “Do you think she has a personal cookie chef? One that makes her cookies whenever she wants them?”

“…Probably.”

Annabeth stops her pacing for a moment and stares at him. “You’re right.”

She flops her head onto a pillow and closes her eyes. For a moment, she can imagine herself up on that stage, no longer Annabeth Chase— dreams too big for her little apartment with her small-minded parents inside—but a performer, a powerhouse, a _star,_ leaving it all out there, everything she is, everything she knows. She starts humming slowly to herself, _If I Were A Rich Man_ from _Fiddler,_ wishing that she was, well, rich. Physically, mentally, and emotionally. Because everything else already seems to be in line.

“Sing something else. That song gives me war flashbacks,” Percy grumbles.

“God, sorry, right! Enough about me.” She sits up straight and tightens her ponytail. “What is the plan to beat Octavian?”

“There is no beating Octavian. He is to me as Rachel is to you.”

Annabeth bristles. “Just because I hate her doesn’t mean I won’t beat her. And I don’t even hate her _that_ much…” But she trails off at the sight of Percy’s raised eyebrow. “Okay, but Perce. _Relax._ It is not going to be like _Fiddler…”_

_“_ I am never forgiving that goy for getting Tevye. But looks like your friend was in _Fiddler_ , too.”

Annabeth shinnies up next to him. On his screen, is a post from Rachel Dare’s Instagram page. She wears a gorgeous costume, way too high-end for Golde. 

“Even her babushkas are designer,” Percy says, his voice full of too much respect for Annabeth’s liking. She scoffs.

“Is there any show she hasn’t done?”

“ _In the Heights,_ apparently.”

“I kinda wish she had,” Annabeth groans, wrinkling her nose. “Then she could settle for ensemble.”

“Dunno, Chase. She doesn’t really seem like the type to _settle for ensemble._ ”

“Ugh, I know.”

“Why don’t you just go for Vanessa?”

Annabeth holds up her phone weakly. “Piper’s already auditioning for her.”

“So?”

“ _So?_ Bitches before pitches. Anyways, I prefer Nina and this way I’m not going up against Piper. Plus, she’ll be great as Vanessa.”

“So, this is it then? What song are you going to audition with?”

Annabeth sighs, her face contorting into a frown. “I don’t know,” she moans. “I equally love and _detest_ choosing the perfect audition song. I usually go with _Meadowlark_ —“

“There is nothing like Annabeth Chase’s _Meadowlark.”_

“Exactly, Perseus. But… I don’t feel like that’s right for Vanessa.”

“No,” Percy agreed with a shake of his head. “It's not. But Mr. A never includes in the emails whether or not we should do something _from_ the show or _not_ from the show.”

“You did _Maybe This Time_ for last year’s auditions. Maybe you should do that again. Like, the big solo of your character.”

“Isn’t that kind of bad to do? What if a ton of other people do it? That happened last year.”

“They learned from last year: Don’t do it if you’re not Annabeth Chase.”

Annabeth makes a dramatic flattered face. “Ah, you’re too much. So, _Breathe_ it is?”

“Hell yeah, it is.”

Annabeth can’t help but laugh and pop another cookie into her mouth. “What do you think Rachel’s gonna do? With Daddy’s voice lessons, she’s probably going to do something from Phantom and try and impress everyone with her freaking _opera techniques,_ like a ginger Kristin Chenoweth.”

“Oh god, yes. Or _Astonishing._ ”

Annabeth made a choking sound. “Definitely _Astonishing._ What about you?”

“I already have the sheet music for _Goodbye_ from _Catch Me If You Can._ Probably gonna go with that.”

“Good choice, Perce.”

“Thank you, thank you.”

“You know… this is going to be the show that gets you into NYU…”

“Stop!” Percy rolls over, burying his face in Annabeth’s shoulder. “Don’t say that... too early…”  He sighs heavily and sit up, looking his best friend straight in the eye. “So this is it.”

“This is it. We are going to be best friends playing best friends. I cannot fucking wait.”

A happy pause.

“What would I do without you, Perce?”

“Die. Or get ensemble.”

Annabeth would soon find out; there are worse things than ensemble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \+ background notes: astonishing is basically this number from little women that's VERY overdone for female auditions so annabeth and percy r basically just making fun of rachel for being basic because that's the best insult they can think of <3


	5. iii

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> drama teachers. what can you do.

Sent: Tuesday, March 10th, 7:32 am

From:  apapadopoulos@staff.goodehspa.org

To:  achase20@student.goodehspa.org

Re: Subject: Confused and Disheartened

My dear, bright Annabeth—

No. 

The cast list was completely correct. Ms. Dare is our Nina for this production of _In The Heights._

I hope this doesn’t mean you’ll quit the show. While I’m aware of your passion regarding the theatre, this would seem out of character for you, so I have high hopes you’ll continue the show, as you did receive a lead, if not the one you wished for.

Feel free to discuss this with me some more in detail at our first table read today.

Best, 

Mr. A

P.S. - You’re a very graceful writer, Annabeth, even in times of complete distress.


	6. breathe (2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> n-b shel? meg plays the piano just like she always wanted? will being able to sing unlike in canon? yes all of the above.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry if piper seems ooc i just wanted to make her more of a diva and embrace herself wholeheartedly instead of being ricks misogynistic version of not-like-the-other-girls-Piper

** Monday, March 9th. 3:53 PM.  **

The day had come. 

The nerve-wracking, stomach-twisting, gut-wrenching, Rachel-hating, godforsaken day had come.

_Auditions_.

After the school day has ended, Annabeth musses her hair one final time in the bathroom mirror before turning to Piper.

“How do I look?” she asks quietly.

Piper pauses, poised over the sink, lip gloss in hand. "Like you looked twelve minutes ago. Don't you think you should be rehearsing with your spare time?"

"She could be _anywhere,_ " Annabeth whispers conspiratorially. "Listening."

Piper caps the tube and slips it back into her bag, giving Annabeth The Look.

"Remember what we talked about, Annabeth? You've got this in the fucking _bag._ Now, come, come." She loops her arm through Annabeth and leads them out of the bathroom next to the auditorium. "Auditions start in ten minutes, and you know what they say! Early is on time, and—"

"—on time is late," Annabeth finishes. "Full disclosure, I didn't understand that until Jason took the liberties of explaining it to me last year."

"Oh my god," Piper snorts. "You're ridiculous."

Annabeth makes a kissy face at Piper just as her red nightmare turns the corner.

"Oh!" Piper exclaims, pushing open the door to the theatre. "Fancy seeing you here, Rachel, darling."

Rachel smiles politely at PIper. Then sidles up to Annabeth as the three girls walk down the aisle to the edge of the stage. 

"Hello, Annabeth."

"Hello, Rachel."

The two give each other competing cynical smiles until it occurs to Annabeth with a strike of horror: _What if they're doing the same audition song?_ Oh, it was a little generic! Should she ask Rachel, just to be sure?

But no words come out.

(Percy's dead if Rachel ends up doing _Breathe.)_

"Drewwwwww," Piper says, plopping into the seat next to her and pulling Annabeth along as Rachel finds a spot in the first row. Piper and Drew have a love-hate relationship.

Drew crinkles her nose, looking up from her phone. "What do you want, dumpster queen."

Piper makes a face back. She looks around at the crowd starting to file in. "A lot of freshmen. Good for the ensemble."

"Who's that over there?" Drew points to a boy sitting and chatting next to Lou Ellen. They overhear him laugh at his own joke, told in a trilling Southern accent.

"Will Solace, I think," Rachel says. "I see him hanging around the nurse's office after hours when I stay late to work in the dance studio."

Annabeth gives her a full whites-of-the-eyes eye roll.

"He's cute," Drew remarks, "But someone needs to tell him that this is _Heights,_ not _Best Little Whorehouse In Texas._ "

"Uhm, Drew," Rachel giggles, once again driving Annabeth insane. "I'm pretty sure that's Mr. A's kid you're trash-talking."

Drew's eyes go wide. " _Mr. A's a DILF?_ "

"He has a kid," Rachel answers carefully. Then quietly, she adds.  "Have fun with ensemble."

"What a snarky bitch," Annabeth whispers to Piper, who's snickering.

PIper reprises The Look. "You would've said the exact same thing."

Annabeth huffs at yet another person pointing out a totally-not similarity between the two girls.

"But... Looks like there was some whoring around in Texas after all," Piper murmurs. Annabeth gasps and slaps her on the arm.

Annabeth sighs, looking at the freshman. "Oh, poor Will, we've scared him already."

" _Drew,_ has," Piper corrects, watching as she slinks up to him. "Jeez. Hardly a chance to breathe. But she plays nice. Most of the time."

"Yeah, well _playing nice_ isn't going to get her this one. Look at him."

Piper points to Will, following his gaze to Nico di Angelo in the second row, dressed in so much black you'd think he's stage crew, smiling up from his phone at Will.

The girls laugh quietly as Mr. A takes the stage, shooing a group of techies off. To his side is Shel, this year's student director, and Piper's as-longtime-as-crushes-on-new-kids-can-go crush. She sighs happily, leaning back in her chair.

"Heart-eyes much?"

"Shhhh, I wanna hear them talk. That voice... MM! Like music."

"You are so head over feet."

Piper elbows her and shushes her again.

"Alright, my starlets," Mr. A starts, like always. Shel, hearing this for the first time, half-smiles in a completely adorable way. When Annabeth looks over, her best friend has been reduced to Piper-Goo. "Shel, here, your student director _and_ production manager is going to explain how the audition process works."

"Alright!" Shel says, taking a step forwards. "For those of you wanting to be a part of this show—"

Percy bursts in, non-disruptive, but Annabeth catches his worried glance when he takes a hurried seat in the seat behind her. He looks over to Nico, his cousin, who's giving him a _what-the-fuck_ stare. Percy grimaces back apologetically. Nico rolls his eyes — even Annabeth's got nothing on Nico's earthquaking eye rolls.

"—Our local piano prodigy Meg will be accompanying you on the piano for your audition. 32-bars, about a minute or so of your song of choice. This is if you've brought sheet music. If not, a capella works just fine. Mr. A will be picking the cast list."

Mr. A nods. "Any questions...?"

A freshman pipes up, "Will we have to sing in front of everyone?"

"Yes. But, if you're nervous, try to keep your focus on just me and Shel. We're the only ones to whom your audition matters."

 _Not exactly,_ Annabeth thinks, feeling a thrum in her stomach. She can't tell if it's from nerves, excitement, or both.

"What if I mess up in front of Shel?" Piper whispers horrified.

"Don't worry. Just stare at Mr. A and nowhere else. Or channel the feelings into song. That's what I always do, never losing focus that way."

"So I just have to ask Shel to 'take me' and hope they don't 'leave me'? This is a nightmare." Annabeth pats her arm.

"Cast list will be up at midnight tonight. I'd tell you not to stay up, but I'm positive you will." Annabeth feels him look directly at her as her face heats. She loses focus for the rest of the talk, deciding to instead sing her song inside her head, occasionally sipping tea from her water bottle. She doesn't hear it when Mr. A says —

"Oh, and, one last thing. As some of you who were here last year are aware, we had a _lot_ of graduating senior _guys_ last year. Most of them leads. So, if the situation occurs, we may do genderblind casting, if it's what we see fit."

She only hears it when he calls her name. First.

She walks up that stage, opens her mouth, and lets everything spill out of it.

_And what will my parents say?_

To do something worth your time. To find your dream: as long as it's our dream.

_Can I go in there and say..._

Don't stop, Annabeth. Keep going, they'd say. Keep going.

And she does. Because this one moment, well... she's taking it back. It's hers.

_"I know that I'm letting you down."_

A tear trickles down her cheek. She never was good at crying on command.

_Just breathe...._

And then it's over. And everyone is silent.

Even her thoughts. The ones about Rachel Dare. At this moment, it's all quiet.

There is only the sound of her breathing.

"Thank you, Ms. Chase. Well done."

He sounds genuinely impressed. She stands on the stage for a moment longer than needed, relishing it, along with the nervous chatter of the audience.

A run for your fucking money.

She resists the urge to fist pump, but Percy, sitting in the audience, doesn't. She runs to join him, Piper, and Thalia who all silently cheer and hug and scream and cry.

Fuck yes. She totally just nailed that.

She tunes out most everything after that, except for her friends' auditions. More specifically, Percy making half of the room fall in love with him with "Goodbye", Piper making the _other_ half (Shel most definitely counted — Annabeth was expecting more than just a blown kiss when Piper literally _jumped off the stage and on to their table_ ) fall in love with her with "Take Me Or Leave Me", and Thalia's ironic audition as Abuela Claudia unironically being amazing with "So What?" from last years show.

She even remarks at Will Solace's performance of "Crazier Than You", clearly inheriting his father's gift for performing arts, but Nico's expression is more remarkable. The way this is going, most of the drama department will be puddles of goo by opening night.

Oh. And _Rachel's._

She intended on completely ignoring it, pretend that Rachel's singing on that stage doesn't exist, but...

Let's just say it was pretty damn hard.

"Hi," Rachel starts, hands in her jean pockets. UNPROFESSIONAL! That's like rule number freaking one! Annabeth can't help it — she grins wickedly. What a fucking novice. "My name is Rachel Elizabeth Dare, auditioning for the part of Nina Rosario, singing "Everything I Know.""

So, not "Breathe." All good, right?

"Let's hear it, Rachel."

She nods to Meg.

_Wrong._

At first, the song choice wasn't remarkable, but in fact, it represents more of Nina's character, her determination, than "Breathe" does. Annabeth can hear it. She could hear it through blasted eardrums and soundproof walls. Every note comes out crisp and clear, hearty and completely her own, like she swallowed the sheet music and vomited it up all covered in talented rich bitch. Gross. But so was the sight of it! Annabeth's mouth was probably hanging open the entire time.

She shrugged it off when she was done. Back on earth and never been more hateful. So what? No big.

Not a big deal that it was over.

It was over.

_All of it._

**Tuesday, March 10th. 12:00 AM.**

Annabeth screams.

"Breathe," is all her mother says for comfort. "Just breathe."

She won't.


	7. iv

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> annabeth chase: sponsored by crytyper.  
> thalia grace is batshit in this fic im so sorry

**(Cast list, sent out via Google Classroom email at 12:00 AM, EST.)**

IN THE HEIGHTS - CAST LIST

Thank you to everyone who auditioned! -Mr. A

Please contact me if you're interested in small stage crew positions ie set painters, inventory helpers, etc. Looking at you, one-liner ensembles. -Shel

Cast, In Order Of Appearance:

Graffiti Pete - William Solace

Usnavi - Perseus Jackson

Piragua Guy - Leo Valdez

Abuela Claudia - Thalia Grace

Kevin Rosario - Jason Grace

Camila Rosario - Reyna Ramírez-Arellano

Daniela - Drew

Carla - Hazel

Sonny - Nico di Angelo

Benny - Annabeth Chase

Vanessa - Piper Mclean

Nina Rosario - Rachel Dare

Ensemble - The rest of u

**(Text Messages from Perseus Jackson to Annabeth Chase, 12:02 AM)**

Percy: i assume you saw....

Percy: why assume? u definitely saw. please don't scream. your voice is too pretty for that

Percy: at least we get to play besties right lol

Percy: annabeth ????

Percy: helloooooo

Percy: ik ur there!!!

Percy: talk to me pls

Percy: is there anything i can do for you

Annabeth: cokies peslase 

Percy: sure. anything else? im here for u

Annabeth: fin d out hwat rachell is,, dea;;lthy allergic to im jjustf Ucking murdErIIngg ttahht bith

Percy: yeah no im not gonna do that and neither are you

Percy: plus i dont think you're an understudy...

Annabeth: THANKSS F.OR REMIDNNIN..G mE. FUCIKNG ASSHATT FUCKING BITCH

Percy: think of it this way: mr. a knows you're versatile and have great range.

Percy: and ur like the only one here who can rap well 

Percy: dont be sad annabeth... pls

Percy: listen to sunrise and try not to cry

Annabeth: im just ont doing t his no fuuckinng waay

Percy: you need to this could make or break college for us anns

Annabeth: l,,loOkme deadi n the yees, and aasok me if i fuckin.g care

Percy: hm. tbh im very close to running over to ur place

Annabeth: wiith coo..ok;;es

Percy: not unless you do the show

Annabeth is typing...

Annabeth: jfine

Percy: just pace urself okay? dont want to be kissing rachel with blue teeth

Annabeth: go, srtaigght to hhelll jack,,soo,n

Percy: be there in five

**(Instagram InstantMessages from groupchat: "drama !" at 12:05 AM)**

drew 🥡🦩☁️ : Hey all! Just saw the cast list! <3 Remember that there's no such thing as a small role! Even if you have one line, no lines, a solo or two, or a whole song that you're essentially the star of, we are all crucial to this production

nico: LMAO

drew 🥡🦩☁️: Including those of us who are freshmen that only got roles because they were typecast as cousins <3

CATGIRL SUPREME: AT LEAST UR NOT A SR CITIZEN

jace grace: At least you're not Rachel

Rachel Elizabeth <3: ?

nico: LMAO

leorrr: your life is going to be a LIVING HELL girl

jace grace: Do you think Annabeth is still gonna do the production

will!: guys im pretty sure annabeth can see the chat

leorrr: dw we talk about her all the time in front of her back

percy 🥯: yes she is this is just inevitable

percy 🥯: and she probably won't be reading texts for a while... i'm going over to her place to bring her cookies and comfort her

pooper mclean: comfort her you say ????

pooper mclean: don't get too jealous now rachel

CATGIRL SUPREME: HA

haze 🪐: hmm now that you mention that sexual tension is easy to see

CATGIRL SUPREME: %&*#@(

Rachel Elizabeth <3: Wha

pooper mclean: stfu blackout just came on

**(Instagram InstantMessages from groupchat: "backstage bitches" at 12:05 AM)**

shel ?!?!?: this is going to be insane

louuu 🌐: definitely

lacey: rachel and annabeth's characters are in love right

lacey: and they're the ones who hate each other

﹫sadie: YES LMAO

kayla 🏹: noooo omg i just saw it

shel ?!?!?: not going to sleep tnite ill have nightmares about rehearsal tmr

louuu 🌐: cannot wait to watch shit go down


	8. interlude - crazier than you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [WAIT! THIS IS WHERE I SAW HER! WEDNESDAY, WITH A CROSSBOW… AND SHE LOOKED LIKE DIANA THE HUNTRESS… ](https://open.spotify.com/track/3O30gAfom0QGgts47I2jQ1?si=141b1179456041b3)
> 
> but minus the crossbow (sorry to disappoint) nico's emotional and social trauma and add solangelo
> 
> nico di angelo is wednesday addams is nico di angelo is wednesday addams is nico di angelo don't fight me on this

**(Central Park, Friday, March 6th, 10:03 PM)**

**2 days before Will smiled at Nico at auditions**

Will had had a long week.

To get into his dream school, to even think about _applying,_ Will had to get a scholarship, which meant extra hours volunteering in the nurse’s office doing the most useless of tasks that he could’ve done in his sleep. That would be a hyperbole, however, sadly, because Will was insanely sleep-deprived. The boy liked to sleep, okay? His best friend, Lou Ellen, had made enough “catching up on beauty-sleep during math class” jokes for a lifetime, followed up with remarks about “what a good impression you're making for potential suitors and suitresses!” at school. Yes, she used the word ‘suitress’. Will’s still not sure if that’s even a word. But he let it slide, because other than Rachel who comes to visit him in the nurse’s office for ice for her feet after dancing almost as late as Will stays, Lou’s essentially his only friend. But there’s still time. He just started at Goode this quarter, and he’d say he’s got good social skills. And doing this years’ drama production should give him at least a place to sit at lunch.

Even so, that only made the late nights slightly more bearable and didn’t take away the constant desire for sleep. All he wanted was the comfort of his mom’s cooking before collapsing into bed.

He struggled to keep his eyes open and alert in the dark as he walked through Central Park. That rhymed. Ha!

“Park in the dark,” he said aloud to himself, then burst out laughing. Definitely hysterical.

It occurred to him, somehow, to turn on his phone flashlight to see a bit better. This place definitely was a little creepy and while Will wasn’t exactly afraid of the dark, he wasn’t a particularly brave person either. Nothing about Will Solace was _crazy._

Except for his sleep schedule.

It was as he went to Safari and typed in “Is suitress a word?” (Hell, he’s so proper he uses proper punctuation in his Google searches!) that, before he could see the desired answer, he tripped over something.

He fell to the ground with a thud and an, “Oh, fuck!”

A voice spoke, “Do you mind?”

Will screamed. He realized he had landed on top of something warm and felt something that felt eerily like skin against his arm.

“Jeez! Thanks a lot,” the voice said. Warm, yet simultaneously cold, hushed and velvety in the night. A corpse?

Will knew he should run. Maybe he should’ve. 

He didn’t.

With creeping terror, Will stood up and reached for his phone which had flown and landed flashlight-side down a few feet over. He wiped mud from the back of it on his jeans and shone the light on the ground below him.

He felt his face flush, his neck prickle with heat, seeing as this was the person he’d landed on top of, who’s smooth skin he’d felt brushed against his own. A boy, his age, strong cheekbones, skin that looked white as a sheet under the intense light, dark long-ish hair splayed out around his head, laid on his back, one shiny, dark eye opened and glaring at Will. That was all he needed to see how pissed the boy was.“Do you mind?” he said again. “Hello?”

Will opened his mouth to say something, but the words got stuck, irritatingly in his throat.

“You! You’re the one who falls asleep during math class.”

_“What a good impression you’re making for potential suitors and suitresses.”_ Not that this crazy, oddly beautiful, strange boy would fall under that category, no, not at all.

“Not much of a talker, I see,” the boy said, making no move to get up from the ground. “Same, I guess. I just like the dark. Not you, though. _Park in the dark,”_ he mimicked in a Southern accent that wasn’t mean per se but made Will’s face burn anyway. “So, I’d appreciate it if you put your light somewhere else, even if you like blinding me while admiring me.” Will blushed even harder and obliged because of this. “Have a sit.”

Will did, “have a sit”, for whatever reason he’s still unsure. His eyes adjusted to the dark rather quickly, and he was able to make out the boy dragging his fingers through the fresh mud from this afternoon’s rain. 

“Did you know that Central Park was built on _thousands_ , _tens of thousands_ of dead bodies? They only dug up and moved what they considered the real important ones when they built it.”

Will jumped up instantly. He caught the boy’s mouth curving into a grin. Okay, definitely crazy. He needed to get _out of here!_ But his fingers moving through the mud — the dead body mud! — was, like, hypnotizing Will. Was he trying to summon them? Dig up the tens of thousands of bodies? Will looked for a shovel in sight, found none, but didn’t deem it beyond this stranger to dig up the whole park with his bare hands.

The boy opened both of his eyes, pools of ink in the dark. They struck Will like a crossbow shot to the chest, staring at him like a challenge. What were they asking of Will? To say something? Because even Will knew that was completely off the table.

“You’re Will. I’m Nico,” Nico said, like he was assigning Will roles in a scene, like Will wasn’t aware of his own name, which, okay, maybe that happened for a second! Only because he was scared of the dead bodies, not because of Nico’s charm or grin or lips that he realized he was acutely staring at.

Only to not focus on the DEAD BODIES!

Nico stood, brushing grass from his shoulders. He was slightly shorter than Will, which made Will feel like a bit of a fool for being so intimidated by him. Will was not afraid to admit being tall gave him a superiority complex. Especially over graveyard lurkers such as the one before him.

“I should be going, I suppose,” Nico said. He was so close, Will could feel his breath against his collarbone, warm in the late night air.

“Sure.”

Nico grinned. “He speaks!”

Will swallowed. “Yeah?”

Nico cocked a perfect eyebrow at him. “Oh? You’re sure?”

“Yes,” he answered slightly more surely.

“Glad to hear,” Nico remarked. Will thought he was about to leave, and he wasn’t sure if that made him feel happy or sad, but Nico took a step even closer to him, reached into his back pocket. Will’s heart stopped. Like, screeching tires and red freaking light with stop signs stopped. Nico removed his phone, typed his number a text from himself to himself into the messages app.

“There. Now you have my number.”

“How will I remember it’s you? You didn’t add your name.”

“You’ll memorize it.”

Will was certain he was right. “You’re wrong. I have a bad memory.”

“Sure you do.”

“Why’d you give me your number?”

“So I can call you, to wake you up in math class when you fall asleep, because I'll scare you awake.”

“You don’t scare me. You’re just… crazier than me. No offense.”

“None taken,” Nico hummed quietly, stuck Will’s phone back in his pocket, which made Will’s breath catch in his throat at just the closeness, the look in his eyes, gripping yet somehow nonchalant, and how his fingers brushed up the hem of his shirt. 

Will was going insane. What was happening to him?!

“Bye,” Nico mouthed, and then he was gone, leaving Will to cope, in the dark, in Central Park, wondering if this was all just a sleep-deprived dream.

But even that seemed awfully crazy.


	9. v

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> what an evil evil dilf  
> -annabeth chase

Sent: Tuesday, March 10th, 9:29 am

From:  achase20@student.goodehspa.org

To:  apapadopoulos@staff.goodehspa.org

Re: Subject: Confused and Disheartened

Oh.

P.S. - I know. I've become quite adept in the skill of articulation seeing as I've been in Shakespeare club since the sixth grade. Not that that matters to you at this point.

** (Text Messages from Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase during A.P. Bio, 9:29 AM) **

** Annabeth:  ** i just checked my phone again

** Percy: ** oh?

** Percy: ** and?

** Annabeth: ** mr. a says the cast list wasn't a mistake UGH

** Percy: ** oh annabeth im sorry

** Percy: ** i know how bad you wanted this

** Annabeth: ** yeah EVERYONE knew how bad i wanted this

** Annabeth: ** i really went full rachel berry huh

** Percy: ** yeah

** Annabeth: ** :/

** Percy: ** i mean... what ? noorrrr

** Annabeth: ** hah ok

** Percy: ** you'll be fine i promise

** Annabeth: ** i'm just like completely heartbroken

** Annabeth: ** like in 9th grade when i asked that senior luke to dance at spring fling and he and his friends all laughed at me. yeah just like that but maybe ten thousand times worse

** Percy: ** yikes. it gets worse before it gets better

** Percy: ** plus. don't pretend like you don't want to play this role

** Annabeth: ** SEE THATS THE BAD THING! THIS ROLE ISNT NEARLY THE WORST EVER

** Annabeth: ** when you're home is one of my fav songs from the show

** Annabeth: ** but being cast under the circumstances of being worse than rachel and now playing her LOVE INTEREST?????

** Annabeth: ** totally not fucking cool

** Annabeth: ** and mr. a is a total bitch about it. what an evil evil dilf

** Percy: ** ugh

** Annabeth: ** how am i going to show my face at table read

** Percy: ** you're going. you have to

** Annabeth: ** says who. why

**Percy:** because if you're not going im not going and im not letting octavian read my part.

 **Percy:** because that mf is my UNDERSTUDY

**Annabeth is typing...**

**Annabeth:** okay. i'm in.

 **Annabeth:** just to see the look on his face.

 **Percy:** fuck yeah who's the fucking rich man now


	10. interlude - stupid with love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ACTING DUMB TIMES X EQUALS LOVE!](https://open.spotify.com/track/5AWmfB2DvoJ5qVRFX4bVmW?si=ee77cfc9581a4a88)
> 
> valgrace timeeeee

**(Advanced Calculus, March 10th, 10:38 AM)**

**1 hour 9 minutes after Percy convinced Annabeth to do the table read**

Leo Valdez was not dumb.

But when it came to interacting with Jason Grace, who happened to be his very best friend and very biggest crush all smacked together in an I’m-fucking-doomed-you’re-literally-everything-to-me sandwich?

Biggest fucking idiot.

But Leo Valdez was not dumb. Not at math.

It was simple enough — the adding, multiplying, subtracting, and dividing. Leo was practically a human calculator. Math was good. Math was real. It was one of the things in one’s life that if stumbled upon, provides a sturdy object to lean on in the worst of times. Burying, but not suffocating. Smart, but easy to play dumb when the situation arose.

Which is where math comes into play; here and now.

Leo wanted, _needed_ some excuse to talk to Jason and not completely embarrass himself. Usually, they hung out with their larger friend group, so moments he could steal in this math class, moments between only the two of them, were like living in dreams. 

Leo didn't mind acting dumb at something he knew he was competent in. At math, at least, he knew any display of stupidness was an act. There was a comfort in being able to control that as well.

The teacher had just written four example problem on the board, underlined it with a squeak that made Jason squirm — Leo felt bad for thinking it, but it was kind of cute to see everyone’s best American boy be so sensitive at something so silly — and _bam,_ Leo’s spur-of-the-moment idea hit.

“Hey, um,” he tapped Jason on the shoulder, carefully. Jason turned around, eyebrows raised. His perpetual bedhead was slightly more messy from this mornings’ late night, and his dyed-blond hair was starting to grow into black roots, but that couldn’t have bothered Leo in the least. He thought it was adorable. “Do… you get what this is saying? I do not get _any_ of this.”

Leo got cast in the school musical as someone KIND of with a named role for once. Better than _Octavian,_ Percy’s understudy and nothing else, who was giving Annabeth a serious run for her money as far as theatre divas upset over cast lists go. (But don’t tell anyone he’s compared the two.) Anyway, Leo's a totally _great_ actor. Even pretending to be stumped by at the question in question, which was something Leo could’ve done before he could form full sentences.

“It’s a factorial. You multiply it.”

Leo sucked in a breath. “OH!” Okay, that came out louder than expected. But. “Thanks. You know… you’re so smart.”

Jason smiled that mind-numbing grin. Okay! Progress. “Thanks, I guess.” A moment passed where the room was completely silent except for the quiet sound of their breathing. “Wait, um…”

Leo swallowed, watching Jason chew at the edge of his pencil nervously. “You know… if you’re struggling big time, like _really not getting any of it,_ or whatever, dude, I could help you after school. Peer tutoring, I guess the teachers call it, but like, unofficial. There’s a solid hour before rehearsals where I just have… nothing to do. I mean, only if you want.“

Are you fucking kidding? Not what he was expecting. But he would be damned to not say yes.

“Oh, yeah, wait, same. That’d be… great actually,” Leo raved. _Raved?_ Fuck Jason. Like, wholeheartedly _fuck him_.

“Of course. Good to help out a friend.”

Wholeheartedly. 

Leo’s hyper-happy smile felt like an angry clown’s on his face. Which was a definite help.

Jason waited a moment before turning back around, leaving Leo to stare at the back of his neck as the sounds filtered back into the room, the normal, devastatingly average, cruel world around him filing back into place, like it always did when Jason and Leo weren’t, in fact, the only ones left in the world.

Leo had to keep up the act, if this was a long-term thing, right? He alternated with the four problems. Right, wrong, right, wrong, making sure to mess up the work along with the final answer, which was, in all honesty, much harder than finding just the correct answer in the first place. _Like he was supposed to be doing._

(Stupid.)

But it was Jason. _Jason._ JASON. Jaayyyyysonnnnnnnn.

Right, wrong. Right, wrong.

Loves me, loves me not. Loves me, loves me not.

(Stupid.)


End file.
